Why Do Homeless People Collect Cans?

Everytime we go to the streets, we can see homeless people pushing a trolley full of cans and plastic bottles. These homeless people were thought to be insane because they spend time carrying the cans back and forth the street. Little do we know that these cans have a purpose.

Homeless people collect cans because they can make a living out of it. Not only cans but also old newspaper and plastic bottles can be of use. These things can be recyclable when sold to junk shops. We may consider cans as useless especially when they are empty but then, when we sold these cans, we can collect huge amount of money.
Homeless people also consider cans as their key to survival. It’s very surprising how these homeless people live even without shelter, just a cart full of cans. But then, the most basic things we need in order to survive are air, water, and food and definitely homeless people have those with the help of cans.

These people hoard cans to sell them. Depending on the size, cans can be bought from .50 cents to 2 dollars. If they have more cans to collect, they can have more than 10 dollars which is enough for their daily meals. Since people who are blessed with homes, career, and good health just throw away these cans, homeless people take advantage of these cans by collecting them and exchanging them for money. The more their collection of cans is, the more money they can put in their pocket.

Another reason why homeless people collect cans is for bum status. Bum or homeless people take pride in the cans they collect because the bigger their collection is, the more powerful they feel. The cans symbolize a status wherein the number of cans they hoard determine their standing in life.